Cyanos Activity August 23

Water is clean for recreation.

Disclaimer: The information presented below reflects conditions throughout the lake and may differ from conditions on specific shorelines. For information regarding beach closings please contact the Torrington Area Health District or local town officials.

Water
clarity at Center Lake declined by 0.5 meters to 2.55 meters, but North Bay
declined very slightly to 3.45 meters.
All North Bay stations (5) had water clarity >3 meters, while all
remaining parts of the lake (9 stations) had clarity readings of <3 meters
with a gradual decreasing trend from north to south such that our southernmost
station in the lake (South Bay) had poorest clarity of 2.3 meters. Cyanobacteria numbers increased to over 20K
at Center Lake. Three was less cyanobacteria
in North Bay where numbers increased to 11K.
Dissolved oxygen in surface water was between 7.2 mg/L and 9.0 mg/L,
with most stations having surface DO >8 mg/L. Several (15) stations had supersaturated DO
in surface water indicating active phytoplankton photosynthesis is occurring. Cyanobacteria observed in samples were
healthy and buoyant suggesting that cell numbers may continue to increase. Deepest water of 6 meters was generally anoxic
(5of 6 stations with that depth) but water at 5 meters was generally well
oxygenated lake-wide with only 2 of 15 stations showing anoxic water at 5
meters. Lake surface water temperatures
increased slightly since the last visit, with slightly more of an increase in
North Bay than Center Lake.

I am the Research Director at White Memorial Conservation Center. White Memorial stewards 4000 acres in Litchfield & Morris, Connecticut. We are guided by four principles: Research, Conservation, Recreation, and Education. The Research and Conservation Programs inventory and monitor the wildlife and other natural resources on the property. We welcome everyone who wishes to volunteer their time and join us with these projects. Please visit this blog often to see what we are doing and how you can help us conserve the beauty that everyone can enjoy on the White Memorial Foundation Property.